Chapter Two
Eating in silence, he savored every bite of the roasted vegetables, quinoa, and the almonds he'd imported almonds from the western coast of the North American continent. He watched her with heightened curiosity as she silently smiled at him, and went into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a surprise: genuine cheddar cheese she'd secretly brought in from Cheddar Gorge in New Britain.
"T'hyla, how did you know? We have not discussed this."
"You dream of it often, K'diwa," she answered quietly.
She delighted in his privately unrestrained enjoyment of the sharp, orange cheddar that stung the taste buds with a unique, salty finish.
She waited until he folded his napkin, and gently pushed his plate away.
"I visited O'ekhartausu T'Roa today. Our daughter exceeds developmental expectations. We anticipate her birth in eight months, two weeks, four days, with reasonable certainty. I have forwarded the most current data for your evaluation."
Silently, almost reverently, Sarek opened the files on his PADD and observed the scan of the tiny fetus, the matrices of information tracking her growth and development. "Her brain is fully formed," he paused, watching the scan of brain activity flash in vibrant colors, "and is very active. I thank Thee, my wife."
Ashalik nodded silently to him, and then chose to readdress the topic that gave him such pause in his office earlier that evening. "Sarek, what of the encrypted communique?"
He sighed quietly. "This encryption is not in any Federation database or historical record. It matches neither known code nor programming standard. Yet, it appears with familiarity I do not understand. I must inquire, have I dreamt of this as well?"
She saw the twinkle in his eyes and recognized a momentary diversion tactic when she saw it. "What concerns you?"
"This resembles the first unique encryption code I developed in my third year at the Science Academy," he trailed off.
"However?"
"I never shared it or presented it for evaluation. It was a personal project. I created it simply to demonstrate to myself that I could. No one has knowledge of it."
"Could your files have been monitored?"
"No."
"You are certain? Our government is historically known for its data collection practices, particularly when considering an individual for assignment in diplomatic service," she stated bluntly.
"I am certain for one reason: it has remained in my memory alone. Additionally, it is not entirely accurate. There are subtle differences in it, as evidenced by the currently unknown sender creating their own signatures," he paused.
"Someone has developed it beyond its initial language. Unless our government has possessed the capabilities to extract information from the mind without grave intrusion, I am at a loss to explain how it has come to me thus."
"Take the time you need to solve this unique riddle," she replied, clearing the table.
Sarek sat in the keeping room of their newly constructed home, having lit a fire in the fireplace. Although built over artesian hot springs, the air would retain a certain chill in the early spring. He sat in his warm, Besalaran robes, PADD in hand, and began solving what would surely be the most interesting puzzle he'd ever attempted.
The sun was settling down for sleep on the horizon, daylight diminishing beyond the picture window that filled the entire western wall. Both moons rose, waxing gibbous, splaying eerie bluish light across the landscape, and through the window across the floor.
Ashalik chose a hardbound book from her father's library, brought with her from the ancestral estate of D'Eskan near Lake Cataria on Betazed, and began to read - at least that was the plan. Having never experienced pregnancy firsthand, she was surprised by how tired she felt at the end of busy days.
Two hours into his work, Sarek heard her snoring very softly, and paused to cover her with her favorite blanket and stoke the fire. By early morning, he'd completed a fundamental translation of the message, and doubted himself for the first time in many years. Realizing they both needed to sleep properly, he closed his files and carried her to their bedchamber, her ability to sleep so soundly a trait he envied at times.